Coop Himmelb(l)au

Coop Himmelb(l)au pavilion

The architects' duo Wolf D. Prix (Vienna, 1942) and the Pole Helmut Swiczinsky (Poznan, 1944) have formed the Coop Himmelb(l)au organisation since 1971. They were responsible for the design of the pavilion for Old Visual Art.

Himmelb(l)au's designs are characterised by their experimental nature. The design for the Groninger Museum is a typical example of the latest architectural current, deconstructivism. This style typifies the present-day zap culture. 'We want to make use of the subconscious and develop new forms from this. We want to try to bring emotion back into architecture.' They do not take the established norms and values as their starting point, preferring the spirit of the present: fragmentation, chaos, contrast, and movement. Their work was previously shown during the 'What a Wonderful World! Music Videos in Architecture' interdisciplinary manifestation in 1990. The video clip pavilion of Coop Himmelb(l)au then occupied the location of the present Museum.